Eats for bike tour of brooklyn/queens

A couple times a year my buddy and I like to do a bike tour of brooklyn and queens hitting up a bunch of different places along the way. This time we are starting to run out of ideas. Only requirements are: (i) the place has to let in two sweaty dudes not dressed particularly nicely and (ii) can't be tooooo far out in the boroughs (e.g., chinese food in flushing is too far). Any cuisine, including desserts, are fair game.

Previous iterations of the ride have taken us to Lucali, Mile End, Dough, Sripraphai, and M. Wells, just to give you an idea. On this trip, the only place we know we are going for sure is John Brown's.

I live near John Brown Smokehouse, and can attest that it's an ideal choice. Very casual, but delicious food. If you're keen to explore more of Astoria, a new place has opened on 30th Ave (almost near Woodside) called Max Bratwurst und Bier -- they make their own sausages of rattlesnake, rabbit, etc. I assume you've been to Taverna Kyclades (and there are other great Greek tavernas as well), but a food-centric tour of Astoria wouldn't be complete without a slice of Rizzo's light-as-a-feather thin crust on Steinway. You might also be interested in Queens Comfort (for very heavy comfort food -- though I doubt you'd have the appetite) on 30th Ave, and Queens Kickshaw (for excellent grilled cheese) on Broadway, if you haven't been to those. There's also a new pizzeria getting very high marks called Basil Brick Oven Pizza on Astoria Blvd.

But from John Brown's, you could head east on 34th Ave, and end up at Tortilleria Nixtamal, where they make their own masa. Also, of note in this area is Leo’s Latticini (a.k.a. “Mama’s”), an Italian deli revered locally for their sandwiches and homemade mozzerella. I've never been, but I understand that the Lemon Ice King of Corona is a local landmark.

[A non-food sidebar: at this point, you're near Flushing-Corona Park, which is fun to bike around, and home of the Panorama at Queens Museum of Art, and you're also near the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona.]

I also like to bike into Greenpoint via the Pulaski Bridge, and would mention Sweetleaf, on the LIC side of the bridge, as a great spot to grab a coffee mid-trip. But save your sweet tooth for Peter Pan Bakery, for their doughnuts. In Williamsburg, an ideal stop for a nosh is my favorite falafel place, Oasis, right near the Bedford Ave. stop.

Plan right now is to go from 25th and 6th in Manhattan straight to John Brown, then bike south as far as we need to in brooklyn before coming back to manhattan via the brooklyn or manhattan bridge. Obviously we can be flexible as need be.

I wouldn't say that the soft shell crab sandwich is better or worse than the chicken, BUT soft shell crab is in season and do you really need a better reason to order delicious fried crab than that?? The crab is crispy outside, tender succulent inside.